The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1887-04-28
KITTY'S TIA NKSaIVIN0
BY SARAH D. HoRARr

KITTY'S THANKSGIVING.
BY SARAH D. HoBARE
'Five and four are nine and eight
arssishtsen, counted Kitty, abstract
saly, = she set tho hot pies on the
broad panthy shelf.
Allow, sarcastic laugh came from
tho depths Of tho great armchair,
whore Ross Chamberlain was lounsins
with q newspaper in his hand.
won't you send me a copy OF your
new arithmetic when you publish 1t,
Kitty" he asked, in a bantering tone.
'"That will do to 60 with the spectre
scopic views you told aboutlast even
Ing"
"Well, I wasn't tho one who spoke
of DR.. Holmes as the author of the
:B;glow Papers, anyway" retorted
Kitty, haunted beyond endurance.
Gross Chamberlain, for one shall be
heartily glad when your vacation is
over"
Ross threw down his paper, straight
ened himself up, and bent a pair OF
keen, black eyes searchingly upon her.
"You don't mean that, Kitty"
"But 1 do, " answered the girl pas
sionately. II have never known so
unhappy time as theselast six weeks.
II my ignorance is annoying to you
why do you seek my society? You
can find plenty OF girls who have had
better advantages. Am / to blame
that my life must be spent in the
kitchen instead of the schoolroom
where would like to be? I am doing
my duty; please father and the boys
and that is sufficient. You presume
too much on our friendship, Mr.. Cham
berlain, when you take it upon your
self to tutor and criticise me it that
contemptuous fashion. You are at
liberty to 60 where your fine sensibili-
ties will not receive such Shocks" and
Kitty took up her egg beaten and at
tackled the innocent yolks with an on
ergy which threatened to demolish
them.
"Youll be sorry for this before the
week IS out, Kitty Payne, and when
you want me back just remember that
you sent me away" The young man
rose to his feet, put on his hat and
overcoat, and stalked down the path,
the personification of offended dignity.
kitty's lip quivered as she saw the
tall form moving steadily along be-
tween tho rows of leatless lilacs with
out one repentant backward glance.
Already her heart was longing for rec.
onciliation, but pride forbade her to
recall him.
He will come tomorrow" she said
with sigh. "He will not fail to eat
his Thanksgiving dinner with us; it
wouldn't be Thanksgiving without
Ross" She wiped away her tears and
turned again hopefully to her work.
1t has been wearisome, trying day;
outside gray mass OF clouds hung
Rloomily over the bluffs, and the keen
winds sweeping across the prairie now
ind then whitened the hollows with
sudden flurries of snow. There had
been an extra amount of work to do
in preparation Tor thanksgiving, which
was always celebrated by the Payne
family in royal style, an innumerable
army OF uncles, aunts, and cousins re-
spending gladly to the annual sum-
mons to the capacious homestead.
Kitty had risen unrefreshed from dis.
turbed and troubled sleep, and was
poorly prepared to encounter the toll
and vexation which lay before her.
It began directly after breakfast
while she was rolling out the faky
crust for her pumpkin pies. Aunt
Sabrina, who had lately become q
member OF the family, was washing
dishes at the sink opposite, giving
voice now and then to an ejaculation
which Kitty had learned to interpret
as the signal of q coming storm. In
the few months during which her aunt
had been her companion tho girl had
learned to dread her relatives sharp
tongue, and shrank from importing
her condolences to her.
whats that Chamberlain fellow
hanging round hero for all the time?"
she demanded sharply, sitting down
the milk pals with savage crash.
II hope you haven't got tho idee into
your head that he means to marry
you. Kitty"
The girls face turned from crimson
to adeadly pallor. Was it not enough
to battle constantly against her own
doubts and misgivings without having
to endure her aunt's cruel thrusts?
She made no reply, but bent her head
a little lower over her work, as with
quick, def fingers she filled the tins
for the oven.
Aunt Sabrina's keen eyes were fixed
pitilessly upon her and she saw that
the shot had told.
"Now, it's easy enough to see," she
went on, hourisning the dish cloth by
way of emphasis, "tnat he feels himself
a heap above you. He's always twit-
ting you with your countryfied ways
and with his being educated, which,
the land knows, you amt. 1attended
select school myself when was girl,
and can tell q scholar as well as the
next one. But that don make it that
you amt too good for HIM the best
day he ever saw, and here he is morn
ing. noon and night, all over tho house
from garrett to cellar, helping himself
to fried cakes and cookies in the pam
try, like one of the family, and sitting
right down here in the kitchen to
bother, no matter how busy we are.
And the neighbours tell me it's been 60
ing on 80 for the last five years! How
do you suppose it's going to end? You
can't look me in the face, Kitty Payne,
and say be's ever asked you to have
him."
No, Kitty could not; and the faint,
sick feeling her aunt's words produced
paled her lips and drew dark circles
around her eyes. Fortunately the
entrance Of the young gentleman in
question spared her the humiliation
Of replying, but she knew tho evil day
-aa n~11, A,,nk O.